Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The honouring of obligations and commitments by the Republic of Moldova, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Despite the unprecedented scale of challenges and difficulties Moldova is facing, President Sandu's Government is relentlessly pursuing a policy of reform and fighting corruption, as highlighted by the report. The UK stands resolutely with Moldova in its endeavours and we will continue to encourage and provide support to help build a stronger, more resilient Moldova, including through our ongoing humanitarian assistance and £12 million Good Governance Fund programming over three years.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Addressing the humanitarian consequences of the blockade of the Lachin corridor, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government has been clear that the closure of the Lachin corridor risks severe humanitarian consequences, particularly during winter. Officials are in contact with humanitarian agencies, including the International Committee of the Red Cross most recently on 18 January, about their assessment of the impact of the closure and the Government is a significant donor to agencies providing assistance on the ground. START FUND, to which the UK is a significant donor, has allocated £350,000 to support those affected by the closure of the Lachin Corridor.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Recent tensions between Pristina and Belgrade, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 25 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to supporting Kosovo's international integration, including to institutions such as the Council of Europe. Membership will bring clear benefits to the Kosovan people, including minority communities. We continue to work closely with international partners to support the long-term goal of normalisation of the Serbia-Kosovo relationship, including through the EU-facilitated Dialogue. The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly plays a crucial role on human rights and rule of law issues, and in pressing states to maintain democratic standards. We welcome this debate and your role in it.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Legal and human rights aspects of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 26 January 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to holding Russia to account for its actions in Ukraine, including by supporting the International Criminal Court and Ukrainian domestic investigations into allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine. As the Foreign Secretary announced on 20 January, the UK has accepted Ukraine's invitation to join a 'core group' to consider options for ensuring criminal accountability for Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including through a special tribunal.
The UK stands ready to work with Ukraine on establishing a register of damages.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the address by Ms Annalena Baerbock, Germany's Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK welcomes Foreign Minister Baerbock's attendance at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the address she held with the delegates. The UK and Germany are the closest of partners. At the UK-Germany Strategic Dialogue on 5 January 2023, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and Foreign Minister Baerbock committed to increasing cooperation on a range of joint priorities including our commitment to upholding human rights standards. We look forward to the Council of Europe Summit in May which will be a good opportunity to re-invigorate the Council of Europe.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The Reykjavik Summit, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK looks forward to the upcoming Council of Europe Heads of State Summit in May this year. The Summit is an opportunity to re-affirm the importance the UK places in its work with European Partners, fortifying the Council of Europe to play a stronger role in Europe when strengthening and securing democracy.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled Conflict-related sexual violence, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 24 January 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government welcomes the recent Council of Europe debate on conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). As highlighted by the November 2022 Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) International Conference, the UK recognises the value in continuing to highlight this agenda at all levels, including at international fora, to help ensure effective international efforts to prevent and respond to CRSV. Reflecting key themes from the debate, the new PSVI strategy centres the UK's response on four key strategic objectives - strengthening the global response, preventing CRSV, strengthening justice for all survivors and supporting survivors and children born of CRSV.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Cameroon, (b) Central African Republic, (c) Democratic Republic of the Congo, (d) Ghana and (e) Niger on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps activity in those countries.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK values its relationships with Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana and Niger and will continue to work in partnership to monitor security developments in these countries. The UK is committed to working with the international community to ensure Iran abides by international laws and norms and is held to account for its destabilising activity. We have sanctions designations on over 300 Iranian individuals and entities for their role in weapons proliferation, human rights abuses, and terrorism, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of tensions between Serbia and Kosovo; and what steps he is taking to help reduce tensions in the region.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
While the recent removal of roadblocks reduced immediate tensions, the risk of further spikes in tension between Serbia and Kosovo remains. We are working with partners to end the cycle of tensions and advance our shared long-term goal of normalisation of relations, including through our support for EU-facilitated Dialogue. During my visits to Kosovo and Serbia in December, I encouraged a constructive approach and engagement through meaningful dialogue. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Lord Peach, echoed these messages during his 5 January visit to Kosovo. He plans to visit Serbia soon.
Asked by: John Howell (Conservative - Henley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the debate entitled The honouring of obligations and commitments by Turkiye, which took place at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2022.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We will continue our engagement with Turkey, to promote the shared values of the Council of Europe, of which Turkey is a founding member. We are grateful to the Council of Europe, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, for their work on the first monitoring report since Turkey was put under monitoring procedure, and for the debate on 12 October 2022.